“Signs flow from faith. They may incidentally have the effect of strengthening the faith of those who are already spiritually inclined, but their chief purpose is not to convert people to the truth, but to reward and bless those already converted. … Signs are sacred grants of divine favor reserved for the faithful and concerning which the recipients are commanded not to boast. ‘A commandment I give unto them,’ the Lord says, ‘that they shall not boast themselves of these things, neither speak them before the world; for these things are given unto you for your profit and for salvation’ (D. & C. 84:73.)” (McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 714).
1. God created the heavens and the earth and all things that are in them (Mormon 9:11).
2. He created Adam, and by Adam came the fall of man (v. 12).
3. Because of the Fall, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to redeem mankind (v. 12).
4. Because of the redemption, we can return to the presence of God (v. 13).
5. Because of the death and resurrection of Christ, all will be resurrected (v. 13).
6. Jesus Christ will judge both the righteous and the wicked (v. 14).
7. The worthy Saints will receive a reward according to their righteousness (v. 14).
Though not directly quoting from these passages, elements in Moroni’s summary of the plan of salvation were concisely identified by Elder Bruce R. McConkie as the “three pillars of eternity.” Elder McConkie stated: “God himself, the Father of us all, ordained and established a plan of salvation whereby his spirit children might advance and progress and become like him. It is the gospel of God, the plan of Eternal Elohim, the system that saves and exalts, and it consists of three things. These three are the very pillars of eternity itself. They are the most important events that ever have or will occur in all eternity. They are the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement. … We must know how and in what manner these three eternal verities—the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement—are inseparably woven together to form one plan of salvation. No one of them stands alone; each of them ties into the other two; and without a knowledge of all of them, it is not possible to know the truth about any one of them” (“Christ and the Creation,” 9).